From the editor

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2003 by Rudy Mangual

After my high school graduation in Puerto Rico during the summer of 1971, I returned to my hometown of New York City before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. The salsa music scene in the city was beginning to swelter to the sounds of a young Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, Ricardo Ray and Larry Harlow, while in Puerto Rico it was El Gran Combo, Tommy Olivencia, La Sonora Ponceña and Bobby Valentín that were dictating the new sound to come.

It was during this time that I first experienced the music of Larry Harlow and his orchestra. Harlow was a non-Latino leading one of the premier orchestras of the early salsa movement with a deep passion for the music--facts that set him apart and put him in the musical spotlight. His long hair and modish appearance brought a new dimension to a musical movement in need of evolution and greater international exposure. Throughout the "Salsa Explosion" of the seventies and into the eightles, Larry Harlow's musical contributions played an important part in the history and development of salsa music. During the 1990s, he focused his talents and efforts more on the production side of the music industry. He also formed the group The Latin Legends (a salsa retro all-star ensemble that included Ray Barretto, Adalberto Santiago and Yomo Toro). Now he's back fulfilling a lifetime dream of performing and recording Latin jazz for his fans with the aid of his latest group and production, The Latin Jazz Encounter. Read about Larry Harlow's new ventures inside this issue. This month you'll also find "The Puerto Rican Danza" by Frank M. Figueroa and "Toca Alfredo Toca" by Jesse Varela in addition to our usual wealth of music information. Hope you all enjoy it.